Pious doubters still belong among the faithful — do not drive them to despair
Experience: many godly people trust God’s Word and promises, flee to him, and plead for mercy — yet are not sure grace is already theirs, anxious about whether their faith and repentance are sincere enough.
No reason to cast them out of the truly faithful.
Console them: the faith by which they flee and thirst is itself the faith to which God promised remission and salvation.
To demand certainty of obtained grace as if without it there is no true faith is to pave the way to despair.
Latin
CI. Adde quod testatur experientia multos homines pios atque Dei timentes, quiique nullo modo dubitant de veritate Verbi Dei, & promissionum in eo contentarum, ac jugiter & serio ad Deum confugiunt, & ejus gratiam ac misericordiam ardentibus precibus implorant, nondum tamen esse certos de illa impetrata, quoniam scrupulis variis vexati anxii sunt de propria sua dispositione, & de propria fide & poenitentia dubitant, an satis seria atque syncera sit. Quos certe nulla ratio est, cur e vere fidelium numero excludamus. Nec videtur quomodo possimus conscientias eorum afflictas solari atque erigere, nisi doceamus eos hanc fidem per quam ad Deum confugiunt, & gratiam ejus sitiunt, & implorant, esse illam ipsam cui Deus peccatorum remissionem & salutem promisit. Imo vero viam ad desperationem sterneret, qui simpliciter eos hortaretur, ut certi sint de Dei gratia, quasi sine hoc vera fides esse nequiret.